Incident Code

CS1375b

Location

Raqqa: West of Mu'taaz street, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.95042, 39.01585
Accuracy: Exact location (via Airwars)

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

In the Amnesty and Airwars’s joint April 2019 report “War in Raqqa: Rhetoric versus Reality”, one woman was reportedly killed in alleged Coalition airstrikes in the area west of Al-Mu’taz street in Raqqa. Although Airwars assesses single sourced incidents as “weak”, researchers have assessed this incident “fair” due to the depth of material provided by Amnesty.

The woman, Lana Ali al-Njem, was killed at the same time as 11 members of the Al-Rahil family across the street. She was the older sister of Yassir Ali Najem, who was also killed in that strike. Initially testimonies stated that she was killed as a result of schrapnel of the strike across the street, but upon inspection of the site Amnesty researchers “felt that whatever killed Yassir’s older sister must have come from something else, maybe a separate strike.” The report of the strike across the street can be found here: CS1375. Amnesty interviewed Kraim al Rahil, a survivor who testified to both incidents.

Lana Ali al-Njem was in Jihad Sueilem’s house at the time of her death. She was with her husband and two young children, who all three survived the strike.

Victims

Invidivuals

Lana Ali al-Njem
40s years old female Yassir’s 3rd sister; mother of two small boys under five (her husband and 2 young kids were with her and survived) killed

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Strike Type
Airstrike
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Civilians reported killed
1
1 Woman

Geolocation Notes

The house in which Lana Ali al-Njem was killed before the strike, on August 11, 2017 (via Amnesty International)

The house in which Lana Ali al-Njem was killed after the strike, on August 18, 2017 (via Amnesty International)

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Not yet assessed
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
Not yet assessed.